Readers share thoughts on QuikTrip, pro-life, Gov. Brownback’s letter

QuikTrip proposal

I own a business adjacent to the QuikTrip at 119th and Riley streets in Overland Park. There is a proposal for it to be expanded.

The convenience store already creates major congestion at peak periods, including morning commute, lunch time and after work. Expanding the size and offerings will only exacerbate the problem.

Allowing QuikTrip to double its size with only one major entrance or exit should not be allowed in a progressive city like Overland Park. I do believe Overland Park will approve the request and fall into the trap that most cities succumb to with the allure of tax dollars.

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If a small local business proposed the same plan, I’m sure the city would find many things wrong with the proposal and deny it. It’s a shame that QT can pretty much dictate to cities what it’s going to do, and the city officials hired to look out for the well-being of all residents just cave to QuikTrip’s demands.

This expansion would not serve the best interests of Overland Park residents.

John David DiCapo

Kansas City

Pro-life scam

Members of the GOP claim to be “pro-life.” This is really hard to understand because their actions end at birth.

They are against having decent wages to take care of children, against health care (more than 60 attempts to repeal Obamacare), against affordable college (low-interest college loans), against expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid for support in retirement years, against equal pay, against protecting women from rape, against expanding early-childhood education and against banning assault rifles.

How is this “pro-life” when there is no support to reach maturity and beyond?

Carol L. Neill

Overland Park

Brownback’s letter

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback’s Sept. 23 letter to the editor was a pathetic attempt to burnish his tarnished image. He reaches all the way back to his Senate days to tout his backing of the founding of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

After patting himself on the back for his concern for African-Americans, he declares, “We must remember wrongs committed so they may never be repeated.” Hear, hear. Racial hatred is and always has been intolerable. But unless I missed something, Brownback has never been known as a civil rights leader.

What he’s known for is being the least popular governor in America. He’s earned that ranking by wrecking the state’s economy, leading efforts to give corporate friends tax breaks at the expense of Kansans.

I wonder whether the governor realizes that his statement about “remembering wrongs committed” also applies to his and his tea party co-conspirators’ decimation of the state budget.

On Nov. 8, we certainly will remember. And I hope we will vote out the rest of his wrecking crew, so we can start to rebuild our poor state.

Liz Craig

Overland Park

Parkway cleanup

Kudos to those responsible for the desperately needed cleanup of Blue River Road in south Kansas City. The volume of debris collected is truly impressive, especially the number of discarded tires.

Kansas City is fortunate to have this beautiful parkway, which is far too frequently used as a dump site. The length of Blue River Road is a favorite for rides in my vintage Corvette.

Now, if they would only complete the necessary repairs to the segment south of 95th Street.

Marlin Fiola

Kansas City

Shootings by police

It’s time has come. With what has been going on with the police and blacks, every time a black man, woman or child is killed by a police officer, there should be a trial automatically.

It doesn’t matter why or how, just that the investigation takes place and it’s all up front.

Maybe then things can change. And there should be a federal prosecutor brought in so there are no ties to local law enforcement.

H. Lon Swearingen

Kansas City

End police chases

When will the police stop these high-speed chases? Not only do they endanger the lives of innocent people, but are police chases really a deterrent to criminal activity?

Does the end justify the means? Even in the pursuit of a murder suspect, does it justify a possible murder along the way?

I don’t think so.

Please stop the chases. There are other ways to catch fleeing criminals.